$114K for the Philip Goldson Highway & Remate Bypass Upgrading Project
Today, at the Mameyal Curve on the Philip Goldson Highway, ground was officially broken to signal the upgrade of the highway from mile twenty-four in Biscayne to the Santa Elena border, including the Remate Bypass. It is being made possible through funding from the Caribbean Development Bank, U.K. aid and the government of Belize at a price tag of approximately one hundred and fourteen million dollars. News Five’s Duane Moody reports from Orange Walk.
Duane Moody, Reporting
If you’ve traveled north, you would have noticed that construction has been ongoing for quite some time along the Philip Goldson Highway with roundabouts being built and several areas along the stretch widened, sidewalks and bus sheds installed. It is all part of a one hundred and fourteen thousand-dollar road upgrading project.
Julius Espat, Minister of Infrastructure Development
“The total value is approximately a hundred and fourteen million divided into four lots. The contractors are Teichroeb and Cisco Construction.”
To ensure that Belize gets value for this upgrade, the Ministry of Infrastructure Development serves as the project execution unit to supervise and work in conjunction with an engineering consulting company out of Italy.
Enea Sermasi, Head of International Business Development, Politecnica Ingegneria and Architettura
“We’ve always had the same vision for construction projects, which is providing our services always focusing on the impacts and the consequences of the building environment on communities and their territories in order to guarantee and safeguard inclusive, resilient and sustainable benefits to both of them. Connecting communities, creating infrastructures that foster growth, prosperity and social equality, while respecting the environment and people’s wellbeing is still our job and mission today.”
The road upgrade will be resilient to future climate changes and will allow for safer travels and faster connections. The Philip Goldson Highway spans over a hundred and forty-eight kilometers and services the country’s productive sectors such as sugarcane, tourism and services sector. It connects Belize and Mexico and facilitates trade.
Prime Minister John Briceño
“It is in keeping with our firm commitment to improving the standard of living of all Belizeans by providing access to meaningful employment, affordable healthcare, better education standard and those services aimed at a better quality of life for all our people. The Philip Goldson Highway and the Remate Bypass Upgrading Project is expected to achieve all this and more. With the upgrading of the Remate Bypass of what we refer to as the shortcut to Chetumal, the route to the Mexican border will be shortened by three kilometers. This is something that will positively impact travel time and it will increase efficiency.”
Similarly to the road safety projects, the works will see new drainage, lay-by bus stops and other road safety features between miles twenty-four in Biscayne and the Santa Elena Border. The Caribbean Development Bank is assisting with financing for the one hundred and fourteen million-dollar project. Since 1996, the bank has provided three hundred and thirty million Belize dollars in loan and grant financing to the country.
Isaac Solomon, Vice President Operations, Project Department, C.D.B.
“C.D.B. has been and remains a long term partner of the government and people of Belize as they try to achieve their development objective. Belize is a founding member of the bank and 2022 marks the fifty-second year of operations. Since its inception, C.D.B. has provided funding resources to Belize for improving agriculture, tourism, water and sanitation, electricity, transportation, housing, health, education and citizen security. While the bank has had an impact on many sectors in Belize, a lot of our support has involved road infrastructure improvements.”
Channel 5
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